The Obama Administration's 'Worst Case Scenario' Is Happening In Syria

U.S. Secretary of State
John Kerry wipes his face during an announcement by U.S.
President Barack Obama to nominate Jeh Johnson for Secretary of
Homeland Security in the Rose Garden of the White House in
Washington October 18, 2013.REUTERS/Jason Reed

The Times quotes a classified State Department briefing paper
from June 10 that painted a grim picture of the rebellion as led
by the West's preferred rebel commander, Gen. Salim Idris of the
Supreme Military Council (SMC) and the Free Syrian Army (FSA):

After the August 22 chemical weapons attack and the chemical
weapons deal that revitalized Assad, the Idris-led moderate
opposition has imploded as many of the Islamist fighting
forces formed a new coalition, dubbed
Jaish al-Islam("the Army of Islam"), withthe
blessing of Saudi Arabia.

Yochi Dreazen of Foreign Policy
reportsa diplomatic push for peace talks, led by
Secretary of State John Kerry, "is about all
Washington is willing to provide" — even thoughseveral senior
State Department officials consider that to be more bad
policy.

“The
only person who wants the Geneva conference to happen is the
secretary,” a senior U.S. official told FP.“Who’s going to show up? Will they actually represent
anyone? If not, why take the risk?”

All in all, the U.S. strategy in Syria has gone as badly as Assad
and his allies would hope.